Officials from various departments attend a high-level review meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang to assess DoNER and NEC-funded projects, at the Chief Secretary’s Conference Hall in Kohima on July 24.
Kohima, July 24 (MExN): A high-level review meeting on projects funded under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and the North Eastern Council (NEC) was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister TR Zeliang at the Chief Secretary’s Conference Hall in Kohima.
The meeting focused on assessing the status of ongoing works and addressing delays in completion, especially of long-pending infrastructure projects.
Zeliang, who welcomed the officials and representatives from various departments, highlighted the urgency of completing stalled works. “Some of the projects have been pending for over a decade,” he said, while urging the implementing departments and agencies to “pay serious attention” to their completion.
He pointed out that the current financial year marks the conclusion of the 15th Finance Commission cycle and warned that unutilized funds could affect the State's funding pattern under the upcoming 16th Finance Commission.
During the review, 26 projects classified as “Distressed” were examined under various schemes, including NESIDS (OTRI), NESIDS (Roads), and NEC. The Deputy CM noted that for projects where funds had already been released but no progress had been made, the Ministry of DoNER had made its position clear. “The State government should either complete the project or foreclose with full refund,” he said.
For projects with revised timelines, departments were instructed to “strictly adhere” to the new deadlines and inform the Ministry of the final completion schedule.
The meeting also reviewed 16 projects sanctioned under the erstwhile Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR), now NESIDS (OTRI), implemented by seven departments: Law & Justice, Youth Resources & Sports, Industry & Commerce, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), PWD (R&B), School Education, and Health & Family Welfare. Some of these projects were first sanctioned as far back as 2003.
Further, five incomplete projects under NESIDS (Roads) and NEC were identified. The concerned departments gave assurances that they would complete the works within the newly established deadlines.
Officials also deliberated on the various causes for delay and discussed strategies to expedite implementation. The Planning Department, which serves as the nodal liaison between the State Government and the Ministry, was urged to ensure timely and accurate data submission from all implementing departments. This, Zeliang said, would “streamline correspondence and save valuable time” in coordination with the Ministry.
The meeting concluded with a collective resolve to fast-track the completion of these key infrastructure and development projects, given their importance to the region’s overall progress.
